Photo: Magnolia677 · CC BY 4.0Summers in Raven are cooler than in 80% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 24°. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 69% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Raven at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Raven’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Raven’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Raven feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Richlands, VA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Raven’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Richlands, VA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 144 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Raven
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Richlands, VA.
Living with Raven’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 19 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Raven from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Raven and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Raven in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Raven’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raven, VA | 24° | 82° | 47" | 18" |
| Old Lyme, CT | 23° | 82° | 46" | 25" |
| Cheat Lake, WV | 22° | 83° | 46" | 14" |
| Riverhead, NY | 23° | 82° | 46" | 27" |
| Westerly, RI | 23° | 81° | 45" | 25" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Raven averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 73% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Raven compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Raven’s place among Virginia’s.
Raven weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Raven’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Richlands, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 3.6" | 6.3" | 13 | 5 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 3.6" | 4.4" | 12 | 4 | 27° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 32° | 4.0" | 2.9" | 13 | 1 | 37° – 53° |
| April | 66° | 40° | 4.1" | 0.3" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 32° | 2.9" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 27° | 3.9" | 3.4" | 13 | 3 | 26° – 48° |
| Year | 64° | 42° | 46.9" | 17.6" | 144 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Raven’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Raven’s center.
- Snow: Richlands, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Richlands, VA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Raven’s climate
What is the weather like in Raven?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Raven in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 126 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Raven get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Richlands, VA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Raven?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Richlands, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Raven?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 173 frost-free days, at Richlands, VA.
What growing zone is Raven in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Raven?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Raven getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Raven.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.